Hot-wire cutter



Dec. 4, 1923. 1,476,049

H. B. BUSH HOT WIRE CUTTER Filed 'April 5 1919 4&4 $7z/z zzz flz AW 5. L, 4: m EN/wk, W-

Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

UNITED HAZEL B. BUSH, OF REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA, ASSIG'NOR TO THE BUSH ELECTRIC COM- PANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 'OF OHIO.

' HOT-WIRE CUTTER.

Application filed April 5, 1919. Serial No. 287,801.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, HAZEL B. BUSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Redlands, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hot-Wire Cutters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an instrument for cutting and handling charged electric Wires, examples of its use being to cut, and remove if desired, insulator vtie wires of high voltage lines while current prevails in v 5 the lines; and to snip service wires leading from high power lines while such lines are hot or charged with electricity. V

Objects are to provide "an instrument by means of which heavily charged electric 2 wires may be cut with ease and safety; or

by means of which auxiliary wires, such as tie wires, that are twisted about main lines may be out completely therefrom without danger of cutting or injuring themiain line; to provide an instrument of the aforesaid character that is very strong and durable; that is so constructed as to materially increase the power appliedlto its operating member duringtransmittal to the cutting elements; and to equip the instrument with adjustable means for adapting it to the cutting of wires of different diameters or v The foregoing objects and others which will become'appa're'nt as this description proceeds are attained in the construction illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming a part hereof and whereinFig. 1 is a perspective view of the instrument illustrating the manner in which it is used; Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the instrument Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail 7 showing the reverse side of parts revealed in the sectional view of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5

' isa modification of the gauge.

Thehandle 1 of the instrument or cutter is, in the present instant, made up of side members 2 that-are spaced apart at their lower ends, by an insert, 3, a distance: substantially equal to the Wldtfh or thickness of .slide 4 that is reciprocable between the side members 2 and is adapted to be shifted or r reciprocatedby mechanism involving the lever 5, and enclosedwithin a casing 6 that is applied to the handle, The leveris pivoted on a pin 7 extending'through the sides of casing 6 and the lever has connection, through links 8, withthe lower end of slide 4. As these parts do not'enter into my present invention, further description and illustration isdeemed unnecessary.

Turning now to the cu'tting' mechanism that is situatedat the end of the handle re-- mote from lever 5, what I may term a stationary jaw 10 has its inner. end secured, as by bolts 11, withina casing 12 that is applied to the handle 1' and'attached to the side members'2 thereof by fastening .means 13. Guides 15 extend along the edge portions of one side of the inner end of jaw 10 and the same are shown as held in place by theabove mentioned bolt 11. Operating between these guides is a head 16 that has its lower end connected to slide 4. The connection may be made by reducingthe thickness of the lower-end of the head and engaging it with the incut side of slide 4 so" i that the extreme end of the head bears upon a. shoulder of the slide. A plate18 is' likewise applied to the opposite incut side of the slide and the parts are secured together by rivets l7. Where plate 18 projects above the slide it is fastened to head 16, as .by rivet 19. Thus itwill be seenthat atonnection is made between the slide and head capable of withstanding avery heavy'thrust.

A movable jaw 20 is pivoted. as by means Y I 'of a substantial rivet 21, to' the stationary jaw 16. The lower endof the movable jaw has pivotal connection, through 'a pin 22,

withone end of a link 23, whilethe opposite end of the link has similar connection through a correspondinglynumbered pin, with the upper end ofhead 16. To relieve the pivot pins 22 of the shearing stresses that wouldotherwise be 'imposedupon them,

I insert between the opposed ends of the head and jaw a thrust plate 24 which is carried by the link and may, so far as principle is concerned, be regarded as an integral part thereof. The endsof the thrust plate and parts againstwhich they bear are curved concentric with the pivot pins 22. p

The upper ends of theja'ws 1'0 and 20are provided with notches 25 that are sufficiently large to receive ther'maximum gauge wire ,which the instrumentjis designed to cut.

' A gauge 27 in the form offa plate is pivoted to theouter side of each j aw, in the present instance on the same pivot or-rix'mt 21 through which the jaws are connected. These plates are substantially identical and their upper ed es are notched at 28 to difi'erent depths. to bring their corresponding notches into register with notches of the jaws, the

ateslot 30, concentric with the pivotal axis of the plate,,andthrough which a screwBl extends and ,is threaded "into theadjacent jaw... By loosening. the screw, the plate may be freed and thereafter turned to any desired position, andbythen tightening screw, the plate may be, securely held against displace- 1 ment For' convenience I have provided each. gauge plate with indications 32 which designate the gauges within the scope of the plate, and the jaw wherewith the plate is associated, with .an index 33 for-cooperation with the indications. i

It is obvious that instead of making the plates notched at their upper ends, the. same may be madewith theirupper edges curved on an arc eccentric: to the pivotal axes of the plates, and by adjusting the plates angularly-with respect to the jaws, they may bezcaused to. cov.er to -a .greater or less extent; the lower. portions of, the notches of the jaws 7 Such a modification is illustrated in Fig. 5.:where; the plate isdesignated 27 and. its curvedupper edge, 28?. I

. The .operationlof the instrument will be readily understood. from. the foregoing description However, it maybe related briefly that when it is desired, for example, to cut a. tie wire of given gauge from a line wire, in the act of doing which the instrument is shown in Fig, .1, the operator adjusts the gauge plates 20 according to'the gauge of .the tie wire and, at a safe-and convenient distance from the wire, applies the cutter to the tie wire T and draws down on the lever 5, which will result in pushing the slide-4 upward and elevating thehead, 16 to operate the movable jaw and shear [or snip the wire. NV hen the tiewire has thus been severed the parts may be untwisted' and pulled, from th line wire L by...the',use1of my instrument. In such an operation the, jaws are forced together with sufficient pressure to securely grasp but-not cut thewirea U Itwill. be readilyjseen that injurytothe linejwireis rendered impossibleby the gauge plates preventing the, cutting jaws from coming in contactwiththe linerwire.

1 The.elements ofwhandle -l and the slide 4: are of insulating material, preferably wood especially treated for the purpose, so that yfiturning the aug Plates the: operator ,is in no. danger of getting shocked through his using the instrument.

Having thus described my invention what ,1. An instrument ot the character set forth comprising a handle, a aw carried by the' handle, a second jaw pivoted to the first jaw, sa d jaws having coperating cutting parts, a headfopposed guides between which the head. isslidablaa link having its opposite ends. piivotally gconnected respectively to the secondjawflandhead, a' thrust element carried bvfthe link ar d-interposed between the headfand secondjaw', the beaiF 4 ing surfaces ofthe thrust member and'the surfacesofthe second and head that engage therewith being curved on arcsiconcentric withthe pivotal connections bctwcn the aforesaid} link and the second jaw an d head,

a slide wherewith the: head is connected, and

means for reciprocating thelslide 2. instrument,o1 jthe. character",set forth, comprising a pair, of cutting elements movable with respect to,each other,the ele-f the elements are in inormaillrelation to each 7 other, means forcreating relative movement between the. elements,- a gauge platefinovably carried by one,v of elements andhaving a 1: art .,a rra-nged to LeXtend a. greaterw or less eXte'nt' over the notch of said element, when w the plateismovedfwith respect. to the element, and means .for holding theplatein anv adjusted position. A

retaining the plate in anyfadj-ustejd position. 5. An instrument of the character set forth, oomprising aipair, of cutting elements p b wi h h h st te e hp h the. elements having not'ches which' register when the elements are; normal relation. to each .eh rimensmissingream m m b tvent e ements fgaeeer at .mQrabIi pa tied by-Jeneef; said .el me sisai ga plate having "notches or varying rdepths that.

are adapted to bebrought into register with M4. An. instrument of the character set .for-th comprising' apairof cutting elements movablewith respect toeach other, the elesaid notch ,tovai greater .orle'ss extent as the plateis, swung upon itspivot, and .rneans for the notch of the element, and means for securing the plate in any adjusted position with respect to the element.

6. An instrument of the character set.

forth comprising a pair of jaws, means pivotally connecting the jaws, the jaws having notches which register with each other when the jaws are in normal condition, a gauge plate pivoted upon the aforesaid pivotal means and having notches of varying depths that are adapted to be placed individually in register with the notch of the adjacent jaw, and means for locking the plate in any adjusted position. v

7. An instrument. of the character set forth comprising a pair of jaws, means pivotally connecting the jaws, the jaws having notches which register with each other when the jaws are in normal condition, a gauge plate pivoted upon the aforesaid pivotal means adjacent each jaw, each gauge plate having notches of varying depths that are adapted to be placed individually in register with the notch of the corresponding jaw, the plate having an arouate slot concentric with the pivotal axis of the plate, and means extending through the slot and threaded into the jaw for locking the plate in any adjusted position.

8. An instrument of the character set forth comprising a pair of relatively mov able jaws,means for creating relative movement between the jaws, the jaws having notches which register with each other when the jaws are in normal condition, a gauge associated with one of said jaws, said gauge being'adjustable to vary the effective depth of the notch of said jaw, the jaw and gauge jaw, the plate having an arcuate slot concentric with the pivotal axis of the plate, means extending through the slot and threaded into the jaw for locking the plate in any adjusted position, each plate having indications, and the corresponding jaw index mark for cooperation with said indications.

10. An instrument of the character set forth, comprising a pair of cutting elements movable with respect to each other and having cooperating cutting parts, means for creating relative movement between the elements, and adjustable means for covering.

or uncovering to a greater or less extent the cutting parts of said elements. a

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

HAZEL BUSH. 

